Of the women surveyed, 56 percent have Facebook accounts; 26 percent have Google+ accounts; and 17 percent have Twitter accounts. Of the men surveyed, 49.5 percent have Facebook accounts; 24.5 percent are Google+ users, and 15.5 percent are Twitter users.

Only about 5 percent of men have Pinterest accounts, compared with 22 percent of women. (No big surprise there.)

The research also found that mobile social network use is continuing to increase:

The desktop and laptop remained the No. 1 place where users accessed sites, but the smartphone wasn’t far behind. Just less than half of both men and women accessed via their smartphone, and another 32% of men and 21% of women accessed via the tablet.

Of course, just because someone has set up an account on a social networking site doesn't mean that person regularly uses the site. Still, the research is a reminder that social networking is an increasingly mainstream part of people's lives, and that news organizations need to be where their audiences are.

Recommended Courses

As managing editor of The Poynter Institute’s website, Poynter.org, I report on the media news industry, edit the site’s How To section, and moderate the site's live chats. I also help handle the site's social media efforts, and teach social media sessions on the side.